


Summer Ecstasies

by BlueJay26



Series: Poetry and Birds [6]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Academia, Best Friends, Books, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Wholesome Twinyards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29460795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueJay26/pseuds/BlueJay26
Summary: "The same darkness lives in all of them, these evenings are there for them to let off steam when they need it."Sometimes when they meet, it's to rant and rave and say things they cannot anywhere else. Other times, they are at peace with each other and the world. Neil likes these nights, no matter which way they go.
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau, Kevin Day & Neil Josten & Andrew Minyard, Kevin Day/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten & Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Poetry and Birds [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888687
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	Summer Ecstasies

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from 'Secret History' by Charles Simic - it's quite a short poem, and amazing for analysis, and the song for this fic is Cult of Dionysis
> 
> READ THE FOLLOWING:  
> Content Warnings: casual talk of death, joking about murder, all the trauma that comes with these five, but nothing too indepth, mentions of Riko, Lola, and Romero, jokes about sex (but everyone's okay with it), jokes about Jack being a homophobic asshole
> 
> Spoiler alert: if you haven't already read "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, then this may not be the fic for you. The spoilers are vague and don't give much away, but if you were planning to read it, go do that first. (For anyone who hasn't read it, it doesn't change much)
> 
> Happy reading, traveller!

It’s a Saturday evening, and the five of them are curled up in Andrew’s and Neil’s den, far smaller and cosier than their living room. Neil’s feet are in Andrew’s lap, Aaron and Kevin are curled up on the carpet, while Jean has claimed the loveseat. Sometimes Jeremy joins, but more often than not it’s just their inner circle. 

Not that Neil doesn’t consider the others close; he wouldn’t have such a huge living room if they weren’t. It’s that something in these three calls to him, the same way Andrew had all those years ago. The others are family, how could they not be, but _this_ is a deep bond of friendship. Some things you can’t tell your family. Kevin can never tell Wymack of those awful days after Riko broke his hand, not how he told them, drunk and crying with Aaron stroking his back. The same way he himself can never tell Matt that being under Lola and Romero was worse than seeing his father.

These evenings are different to the ones where everyone comes over and the house is filled with laughter and the smell of food. All the little ones crowd around Kevin and Andrew, begging for one more game of exy. No, these evenings are solely for them, to laugh and cry and have silly conversations in serious voices. To tease Aaron for marrying the Queen of Exy, when he hated Kev’s obsession in college. To tease Kevin for everything he does, because he’s Kevin and it’s all in good fun. To plan murders they’ll never carry out, but make them feel better all the same. The same darkness lives in all of them, these evenings are there for them to let off steam when they need it.

Today they’re discussing books, specifically ‘The Secret History’. Turns out they all had the potential to be nerds, and the Minyard twins had tapped into that.

“Our little group reminds me of them. The late night meetings, the secret calls, the fact that at least three of us are plotting murder at any given moment,” Andrew remarks, rubbing circles into Neil’s feet.

“Except there’s only five of us. No murder victim. No Bunny.”

“We’ll find someone,” Neil waves a hand, “surely Kev has someone worth getting rid of.”

Aaron speaks up. “I’ve always wondered if she did it on purpose. Naming the helpless one Bunny, the one whom the hounds would eventually kill.”

“With the amount of imagery in that book, I wouldn’t be surprised. Although, coming back to our group, Neil’s Richard.”

“The twins can be the twins, then.”

Kevin jumps in. “I want to be Henry because I’d rather die than go to prison but I’m also incredibly gay, so the choice is hard.”

Jean frowns at that. “I’m claiming Henry because I do the most research out of all of you. You can have Francois, Kev.”

Andrew claps his hands sharply. “Now that’s settled, let’s go run naked through the woods.”

Andrew’s getting up, ready to follow through when Aaron interrupts. “Wait, why are we the twins?”

Jean’s lips twitch. “Have you looked in the mirror recently?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be either of them.” Then, getting distracted, “Which one would I be, anyway?”

Neil gives him a look. “You’re Charles.”

Aaron’s in a very grouchy mood today, because he finds another problem. “Hey, why do Andrew and I have to sleep together? I don’t want to have sex with Andrew.”

Andrew sits back down, clearly disappointed that they aren’t going to have a Bacchanalian revel. “The feeling, dear brother, is entirely mutual.”

“Can I be Camilla?”

Neil and Andrew answer simultaneously. “No.”

Kevin lifts his head from Aaron’s stomach. “Why not?”

Neil knows Andrew’s answer before he says it. What he doesn’t know is how the others will take it. Sure, they aren’t the Foxes, but they’ve always kept their relationship private.

Neil’s foot massage gets firmer, but Andrew’s voice is clear when he says, “Because Camilla and Richard fall in love.”

What he doesn’t expect is for Aaron to laugh. “If Nicky was here, we’d all be deaf by now.”

Andrew glares at Aaron. “Good thing he isn’t then. Right, Aaron?”

Neil glances between them warily, ready to jump in if they start anything. It’s only happened once in the two months since these meetings started, but Neil is nothing if not a realist. The twins have worked out a lot of their history in the six years Neil and Andrew have been together. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the occasional spat. To his surprise, Aaron backs down, going back to petting Kevin’s head. 

He looks at his fingers carding through black curls. “Of course. We’d never have a moment’s peace if he knew. Just saying his name might conjure him.”

Jean stretches on the loveseat, clicking at least four joints. “The two of you are like goats,” when the twins turn to look at him, he clarifies, “constantly butting heads.”

Neil laughs. “You should have seen them in college.”

Aaron looks uncomfortable, so Kevin changes the subject. “If we’re still looking for murder victims, may I suggest Jack? He’s trying to sign with the Argonauts despite my repeated refusal to coach him.”

Neil hugs a cushion to hide his grin; Jack has always been a sore subject for Kevin. Even though Kevin had been the one to recommend him to Wymack, the minute he’d met the man, he’d decided no amount of skill could make up for a personality like that. Which, coming from Kevin, was rich. 

“You only joined that team for its name, if he signs, just leave. He can’t ignore a snub like that.”

Kevin gasps. “ _Andrew_ , I refuse to give up the Argonauts to that- that disrespectful uncultured di- specimen of a human being!”

Kevin’s sudden distaste for swearing makes for some very creative insults. Especially when Andrew’s around.

Jean raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “If you’re picking teams depending on their names, are you even committed to exy?”

Before Neil can smooth things over, Kevin starts talking. “The fact that they’re called the Argonauts means only cultured people will join. People like Jack should sign with a team called Bald Eagles, with a motto like - ‘after practice we attend anti-gay protests’. And I’m not only there for the name; have you seen their goalie?”

“Careful Kev, I’m going to start thinking you’re replacing me.”

“Yes,” Neil says, jumping into the fray, “Why don’t we talk about my goalie?”

Jean flips them off. “No one wants to hear about your sex life, Josten.”

Andrew pulls the rest of Neil onto his lap, abandoning his feet. “Why, Moreau? Jealous?”

“I’ll have you know Jeremy’s very good in bed. I don’t need any of your exy obsessed sex. I’d bet my career that Neil has tried to incorporate racquets into-” He’s cut off by a pillow thrown by Andrew.

Aaron sighs, fumbling for a second pillow to throw. “Can we have one conversation where we don’t change the subject five times and then have it end on sex?”

Andrew and Kevin say, completely serious, “You’re hilarious, Aaron.”

Aaron clicks his tongue like the responsible doctor he is. Instead of taking the bait, he pulls out his phone. Everyone flinches at the bright light, and Andrew half-growls under his breath. 

“It’s almost eleven. Kev and I should head home.” Kevin whines and buries his head back in Aaron’s stomach.

“I don’t want to get up.”

Aaron plonks his head back down. “Five minutes.”

Andrew looks around Neil at the three children in their house. “Why don’t you stay over? We have the space, and tomorrow’s Sunday. I don’t mind.”

Neil shrugs. “Sure, they can stay. We haven’t had a sleepover since before Dan graduated.”

Andrew gets up, deposits Neil back on the couch and leaves.

Aaron frowns. “Did we do something wrong?”

Neil blinks, before realising Andrew’s exit would have looked annoyed to anyone else. Really, it was just practical. “No, he’s going to get extra blankets, maybe more pillows since Jean’s hoarding most of ours.”

Andrew comes back in and chucks a couple of blankets at everyone. Of course, being Andrew, he manages to hit everyone in the face. Neil drapes a throw over himself, leaving a side free for Andrew. Kevin rolls onto his stomach and buries his face in the carpet as Aaron sprawls on top of him. Jean covers himself from head to toe in blanket, only able to sleep in absolute darkness.

Andrew looks around the room once, making sure they’re all comfortable before leaving again. Neil can hear him locking up and getting water from the kitchen. He comes back with a couple of bottles which he leaves on the coffee table. Finally, he crawls under the blanket Neil’s holding up for him. He wraps both his arms around Neil, tucks his face into Neil’s shoulder and starts snoring. 

Neil smiles, a content, pleased smile and drifts off. He has his family nearby and safe, all’s right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> I need Academic Andreil for happiness, and then I roped Kev, Aaron and Jean in because I love them.
> 
> This was originally an outtake from 'A Model Romance', and Ichirou was in Kev's place and Kev was in Jean's. Anyway, I switched it up because Model is taking sooo long and I have no clue when I'll finish it, and this fic just begged to be posted. So I did.
> 
> As always, I love all the suggestions and inspiration, and I'm definitely taking requests for this series. So if you have an Academic! Andreil headcanon you want to see, all you have to do is ask ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! :)


End file.
